


Time, Blood, and Conversations In Between

by PumpkinPanic



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-24
Updated: 2013-01-24
Packaged: 2017-11-26 18:31:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/653174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PumpkinPanic/pseuds/PumpkinPanic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story from Aradia's point of view of conversations and meetings between her and Karkat that we never got to see from when they first spoke and onwards. Karadia<3 and Arasol. Insight for Karkat came from chaosSystems.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time, Blood, and Conversations In Between

Your name is Aradia Megido and you are visiting your best friend's hivestem. You don't get to see each other often and this is a real treat. You are currently waiting for him to return from feeding his lusus so you can continue your video game. The buzzing of his bees is lulling you to sleep almost as you spin lazily in his desk chair. You don't know it but the voices that at that particular pleasant seem distant echos will grow louder within the next sweep due to an accident involving a few of your other close friends.

A trollian chat box appears on the screen alerting Sollux to an incoming message from carcinoGeneticist.

CarcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA] at --:--  
CG: CAPTOR, BEFORE YOU EVEN START TRYING TO IGNORE THIS MESSAGE, I KNOW YOU'RE THERE. YOU'RE PROBABLY IN YOUR MAINBLOCK LIKE THE LAZY SACK OF MONKEYSHIT YOU ARE AND FOREVER SHALL BE, JUST LISPING AWAY AT THAT POOR DAMNED, BRAIN DAMAGED GIRL, GETTING YOUR WEIRD-ASS SPIT ALL OVER HER. YOU KNOW *WHY* SHE'S BRAIN DAMAGED?? BECAUSE SHE'S ACTUALLY RISKING LIFE AND LIMB TO VISIT A BULGEMONGERING DOUCHEWEASEL WHO CAN'T EVEN TELL HIS LEFT FROM HIS RIGHT.  
CG: NOW HAVE YOU ACTUALLY MANAGED TO POP THE PALE QUESTION TO HER, OR DO I HAVE TO COACH YOU THROUGH THIS LIKE I DO EVERYTHING ELSE. 

You know you really shouldn't answer this. It's not your husktop but you've always had a bit of a silly streak in you and sometimes do silly things and it would be rude *not* to inform him that Sollux was out and someone else could plainly see the messages. Right?

TA: hes n0t here right n0w  
TA: but what question are y0u talking ab0ut?  
TA: als0 get it right  
TA: im n0t brain damaged  
TA: my skull is much t0 thick f0r that  
CG: WHAT IN THE CACOPHONOUS FUCK  
CG: OH  
CG: SHIT, ALRIGHT. BEFORE YOU GET YOUR UNDERGARMENTS IN A FAIRLY LARGE, INTRICATE AND PAINFUL TWIST, TAKING A FUCKING DIVE OFF YOUR OWN PERSONAL PIER INTO WHATEVER DANK CAVE YOU WISH, LET ME EXPLAIN SOMETHING.  
TA: 0_0  
CG: I WAS ATTEMPTING TO GOAD THIS SHITLICKER INTO DOING SOMETHING YOU APPARENTLY HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT, WHICH IS AMAZING.  
CG: CAPTOR CAN'T DO A DAMNED THING BY HIMSELF, ESPECIALLY THIS, BUT REALLY, YOU NEED A BETTER TASTE IN PEOPLE YOU HANG OUT WITH LADY.  
TA: 0_0  
CG: ARADIA, RIGHT? I KNOW IT'S RAD SOMETHING.  
TA: yes its aradia  
TA: i d0nt kn0w wh0 y0u are th0ugh  
TA: y0u are his friend right?  
TA: d0 friends call each0ther shitlicker?  
CG: YES, IT IS A THING FRIENDS DO, ASSUMING ME AND CAPTOR ARE ACTUALLY FRIENDS, WHICH IS A BIG STRETCH OF THE FRAGILE IMAGINATION.  
CG: ANYWAY, I'M KARKAT VANTAS.  
TA: its nice t0 meet y0u karkat and im thinking y0u are friends since y0u seem t0 be trying t0 help him with s0mething  
TA: 0h i think hes getting back  
TA: ill make sure he d0esnt get t00 much lisp spit 0n me  
twinArmageddons [TA] ceased trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] at --:--

Sollux had returned and the funny troll and their silly rantings had been pushed to the back of your mind but not surpressed completely.

======>

It's one week later and you are up WAY past your bedtime. You decide to troll some of your friends but they are all either asleep as all good trolls should be this late in the morning or people you weren't exactly in the mood to speak with. You were getting really bored or fiduspawn and FLARP queens. You remember the troll that was trying to encourage Sollux to do something or other. The details were fuzzy in your mind now. You remember though that despite their abrassive quality they seemed interesting.

You type in their handle and he just so happened to be on.

apocalypseArisen [AA] began trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] at --:--  
AA: hell0 karkat  
CG: WHAT IN THE HELL???  
CG: WHO IS THIS.  
AA: 0h thats right y0u didnt kn0w my handle  
AA: im rad s0mething  
CG: THAT'S A DUMBASSED NAME. I GUESS THE DRONES JUST SAID FUCK WHEN TRYING TO DECIPHER WHATEVER STRANGE, PRIMAL NOISE YOUR LUSUS MADE.  
CG: SO YEAH, HEY, ARADIA.  
AA: i might ask why y0ure up so late but that would pr0bably get the same questi0n f0r me  
AA: s0 how ab0ut h0w are y0u?  
CG: UH  
CG: I'M FINE I GUESS? YOU?  
AA: im fine  
AA: i think a wingedbeast just snatched a h0pbeast outside my d00r  
AA: theyve been using my excavati0n sites to dig their burr0ws  
CG: WAIT WHAT?  
CG: WHERE IN THE LIVING FUCK DO YOU EVEN LIVE?? IN THE MIDDLE OF SHITFACED NOWHERESVILLE????  
AA: n0 i live in the c0untryside 0f middle 0f shitfaced n0wheresville  
CG: OUCH. SO, WHAT, DID YOU DiG UP SOME RANDOM ASS LAND NEAR YOU OR SOMETHING?? IS THAT WHAT YOU DO, JUST SIT AROUND AND DIG ALL NIGHT?  
AA: yes  
AA: i like archaeo0l0gy  
AA: id like t0 be like tr0ll indiana j0nes  
AA: What d0 y0u d0?  
CG: SERIOUSLY?? I GUESS THAT'S A GOOD ENOUGH ASPIRATION, SEEING HOW JONES ACTUALLY MANAGES TO NOT BE A USELESS SACK OF FUCKERY MOST OF THE TIME.  
CG: AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW? IS GENERALLY BEING AWESOME A HOBBY  
AA: 0_0  
CG: OK, REALLY, WHAT DOES THAT FACE MEAN  
AA: it means that i d0nt think thats an 0pti0n  
CG: WHATEVER  
CG: I LIKE TO CREATE VIRUSES, LIKE, REALLY HARDCORE LITTLE BASTARDS THAT TEAR APART COMPUTERS.  
CG: AND READ, AND WATCH MOVIES?? PRETTY NORMAL SHIT IF YOU ASK ME.  
AA: i like t0 read and watch m0vies t00 but i havent been able t0 as much lately  
AA: computers d0nt interest me all that much really  
CG: DO YOU AT LEAST TRY AND FUCK ABOUT WITH THE MACHINE WHEN THERE'S A PROBLEM?  
AA: i can w0rk 0ut some things and h0w t0 use it pr0perly but i d0nt really get t00 in depth with them  
AA: s0llux always says if y0u cant figure something 0ut by messing ar0und with it that y0u sh0uldnt be ar0und technology  
CG: THAT'S ONE OF THE FEW THINGS HE'S CORRECT ABOUT.  
CG: ALRIGHT, YOU SEEM LIKE YOU'RE NOT A TOTAL MORON, THAT'S GOOD.  
AA: i d0 kn0w my way ar0und a braincell 0r tw0  
AA: y0u kn0w i think i heard s0mething ab0ut y0u bef0re but n0t fr0m sollux  
AA: i think we have m0re mutual friends than just him  
AA: which makes it strange that we had never sp0ken bef0re  
CG: .....WAAAAAAIT A SECOND  
CG: ARE YOUR HORNS LIKE, CURLY??  
AA: y0u c0uld describe them that way  
CG: DO YOU KNOW TEREZI AND VRISKA?? ONE IS A STUPID, CACKLING BITCH AND THE OTHER ONE IS JUST A NORMAL, RUN OF THE MILL BITCH WITH MINOR AMOUNTS OF TOLERABILITY.  
AA: yes i flarp with them  
CG: OH MY GOD  
CG: THAT'S FREAKY AS SHIT. LIKE, THEY KEEP YAPPING OFF ABOUT YOU A NITRAM AND NOW I *FINALLY* GET TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.  
CG: WOW, THEY EXAGGERATE LIKE PROPAGANDIANS RUNNING OUT OF IDEAS.  
AA: 0h? what c0uld they be saying ab0ut me then?  
CG: THEY CALLED YOU REALLY DROWL AND BORING AND FULL OF COCKY FUCKHEADEDNESS.  
CG: THAT KIND OF STUFF.  
AA: im flattered that they are frightened en0gugh of me t0 say that  
AA: maybe its the fact that im in the game f0r the actual adventure 0f it  
AA: they never believe me when i say that but yes theyve sp0ke 0f y0u als0  
AA: im glad t0 see s0me of it d0esnt seem t0 be true but f0r the rest 0f it i w0uld actually have t0 see y0u  
AA: but i think its time for me t0 g0 t0 my c00n  
AA: g00dm0rning!  
CG: WAIT!  
CG: OR ACTUALLY  
CG: WHATEVER, FUCK IT.  
CG: SLEEP WITH SOME DEGREE OF COMFORT.  
CG: GOODMORNING.  
AA: w0uld y0u like t0 talk again t0night?  
CG: WHY NOT, I AM RUNNING LOW ON ACTUALLY TOLERABLE PEOPLE TO CONVERSE WITH AS IS.  
AA: 0k  
apocalypseArisen [AA] ceased trolling carcinoGeneticest [CG] at --:--

You messaged him later that night and over time talking with him became common practice for you. Talking with him often times as much as you spoke with Sollux. The more you got to know this troll the less abrassive his personality became. You were unsure if he was warming up to you or if he was always that way and getting used to him made you see it more. It hardly mattered. The main point was he had grown important. Important to you.

Then Tavros got paralized and the cycle of revenge began. You remember that you spoke to him as you cultivated your plan in your head. You didn't dare say anything about it to him because you knew he would talk you out of it. He still could tell something was wrong. He asked you and you closed the chat. That was the last time you had spoken to him when you were alive.

======>

Your name is Aradia Megido and you are dead though most of your friends don't realize this.

You no longer feel anything but empathy as you are guided by the spirits to bring about the destruction of your race. It is your calling. For the moment though they do not direct you to do anything so you sit boredly at your computer. It is midday and all of your friends are asleep but one.

apocalipseArisen [AA] began trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] at --:--  
AA: 0_0  
AA: hell0 karkat  
AA: are y0u there?

You're unsure why you messaged him. You weren't being prompted and you had no knowlege if he even wanted to speak with you anymore. You stare at the screen for a long while, your mouse hovering over the cease option.

CG: YEAH, I'M HERE.  
AA: it has been a while

You struggle to remember how the pleasantries of idle chatter go but they seem far off and faded in your mind. It's hard to grasp at it.

AA: h0w are y0u  
CG: I GUESS I AM FINE.  
CG: YOU?  
AA: im relatively fine i supp0se  
AA: perhaps messaging y0u was a p00r idea  
CG: WHAT?  
CG: WHY WOULD IT BE A POOR IDEA.  
AA: the v0ices tell me it was  
AA: there was n0 purp0se in it  
CG: ARADIA, WHAT IN THE SWEET, BOILED OVER FUCKPASTE ARE YOU GOING ON ABOUT??  
CG: LOOK, I KNOW SOMETHING HAPPENED AND YOU GOT HURT  
CG: WHAT'S GOING ON.  
AA: im n0t hurt  
AA: i didnt feel a thing  
AA: i want to break something n0w  
CG: WHY?? WHAT HAPPENED!  
AA: i just have the urge t0 break s0mething im n0t really sure why  
AA: its been happening m0re and m0re  
AA: its nice to see s0mething crumble and break  
AA: its alm0st like caring  
CG: YOU ARE LITERALLY MAKING ZERO SENSE, MEGIDO! SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT DAY, NO ONE IS TELLING ME WHAT, BUT EVERYONE GOT FUCKED UP AND NOW YOU'RE ACTING LIKE  
CG: LIKE THIS.  
AA: 0h well s0llux killed me 0r m0re acurately vriska did using him  
AA: but im fine  
AA: s0rry if im acting unusual  
AA: i have t0 g0 n0w  
CG: BUT  
CG: OK LOOK  
CG: JUST TALK TO ME WHEN YOU GET BACK.  
CG: BECAUSE NOTHING YOU'RE SAYING MAKES SENSE!!  
AA: it was stated very clearly  
AA: what ab0ut it d0es not make sense?  
CG: IF YOU'RE DEAD, HOW ARE YOU SPEAKING TO ME? PHANTOMS DON'T JUST PICK UP A FUCKING COMPUTER AND START TALKING TO PEOPLE.  
AA: 0_0  
AA: apparently they d0  
CG: JUST  
CG: JUST GO RIGHT NOW.  
apocalypseArisen [AA] ceased trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] at --:--

Neither of you spoke to the other until after you came back to life.

======>

Your name is Aradia Megido and you are the first robot of many to come from a doomed timeline. Karkat is about skip an integral part of the puzzle that will help him later when he starts the reckoning.

You approach him from behind. It doesn't even cross your mind that this will be the first time he sees you or that its the first time you've spoken in what must have been nearly half a sweep. Your feet land with a light metalic clunk on the ground.

You startle him. His face shows shock at first but then goes blank. This hardly registers with you. You inform him of his mistake and are ready to go and be useful before your doom comes when his face turns angry. He questions you. You answer him. He questions and pushes a prods and you feel the cool collected stoicism you were holding slip from your fingers and the the veil of red hot anger slips over you. The grasp you've had on your returning emotions is so deperate but they're so fragile and everything turns into that blinding fury. It scares you.

You tell him to stop, that you don't want to hurt him. He doesn't. You hit him. You hit him hard. There is a drop of blood at the corner of his mouth. You don't note the color. Everything looks red to you now. 

You use your music boxes and disappear transfering your memory files to the future you from the alpha timeline before you take out your anger on the Black King.

======>

Your name is Aradia Megido. You have just both lost and won the game sGrub. Your doom is approaching quickly and you have decided to spend your time copying all of your memories to a server in the outer ring and speaking with your friends.

Memories come back to you more easily now. Things that once mattered to you returning. It had taken so long. Your emotions were still tenuous and still fragile, but your grip on them was better.

Your friends still treated you oddly. You would catch them looking at you sadly every once in a while. You knew you would miss them all anyway.

You found yourself wanting to speak with him again. The words were hard to come by though still. He had approached you, talked to you and it was almost like it had used to be in a way. He left before you could even understand what it was you had wanted to say.

You blew up a few hours later.

======>

Your name is Aradia Megido and you are very much alive. A god teir even! You feel even better than you had when you were alive before and you plan on staying this way.

Your friends are all about to leave on an important journey to play the game and beat a powerful new enemy. You believe in them though! Did you mention how great it was to be able to feel hope again?

They ask you if you are going to come with them but you tell them you are going to stay with your moirail. Another friend wanted to stay too but was persuaded otherwise by a very nice new friend.

You glanced a Karkat for just a moment. He was in shock, tired, confused, and angry. You smiled at him but aren't sure he even noticed before they all took off for their next great adventure.

======>

Youre name is Aradia Megido and you miss youre friends even though you see so many of them all the time where you are now.

======>

Your name is Aradia Megido and you miss Karkat Vantas.

======>

Your name is Aradia Megido and you miss YOUR Karkat Vantas.

You send him a message.

apocalypseArisen [AA] began trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] at --:--  
AA: im coming to visit!  
CG: HUH WHAT. OH THAT'S COOL.  
AA: meet me up on the roof of the main building?  
CG: ALRIGHT. BE SAFE.  
apocalypseArisen[AA] ceased trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] at --:--

======>

You arrive just on time to see him climbing out onto the roof. You don't let him know you're there and just watch him for a few minutes till he sits down before you slip beside him silently and take your seat next to him.

ARADIA: hello karkat  
KARKAT: HOW ARE THE DREAM BUBBLES??  
KARKAT: AND MORE IMPORTANTLY  
KARKAT: HOW ARE YOU?  
ARADIA: they are full of interesting memories and im learning a lot of things from them  
ARADIA: it can be a new adventure every time  
ARADIA: i kinda would like to make my own memories too but i guess that can always wait  
ARADIA: and im fine  
ARADIA: what about you?  
KARKAT: I'M... FINE, I THINK. I'M NOT HORRIBLE, AT LEAST.  
ARADIA: is something troubling you?  
KARKAT: NOT REALLY, JUST ALL THE SHIT THAT'S HAPPENED, ON TOP OF PERSONAL ISSUES, IT'S NOTHING. THE OTHERS WOULD HAVE JOINED IN IF YOU DIDN'T PICK SUCH A WEIRD TIME TO FINALLY DROP IN.  
KARKAT: WHERE IS SOLLUX, ANYWAY?  
ARADIA: sollux is... busy but sends his regards i am sure  
KARKAT: BUSY??  
ARADIA: sorry perhaps he wasn't busy but he isnt here for the same reason i picked such an odd time  
ARADIA: i really could have picked whenever for a meetup but i may have wanted a little bit of peace  
KARKAT: OH, WHY IS THAT? SOMETHING UP??  
ARADIA: i spend most of my time surrounded by people now constantly and i may or may not have just wanted a little time to breathe  
ARADIA: i love being able to be with people and make new friends and see old ones but its a bit overload when it is happening all at once and it has been a pretty big adjustment  
ARADIA: a small meeting with you seemed the best idea for me  
KARKAT: I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT BUT  
KARKAT: WHY ME?  
AA: because you are one of my favorite friends  
ARADIA: and ive missed you  
ARADIA: so tell me, karkat what is this nothing that is not nothing?  
KARKAT: GOD DAMMIT GIRL. IT'S JUST, I DON'T KNOW. KANAYA SPENDS HALF OF HER TIME WITH ROSE, SOMETIMES I HAVE TO GO AND SPEND THAT TIME *WITH* ROSE TOO, AND CONSIDERING MY NOW NEBULOUS STANDING WITH PYROPE, I HAVE NO ONE ELSE ON THIS ROCK TO TALK TO. I KNOW I BITCH AND MOAN ABOUT WANTING TO BE ALONE AND ALL OF THAT DUMB FUCKERY BUT  
KARKAT: LATELY I'VE JUST FELT WORSE.  
KARKAT: EMPTY.

You lean against him as if it were just naturally something you had always done. Perhaps it would have been. Your cheek resting on his shoulder. He reaches up patting your head as if inviting you to stay there.

KARKAT: JUST TIME AND MIXED FEELINGS. SHE WAS, FOR A WHILE, THE ONLY PERSON I THOUGHT THAT WAS SHOWING ANY INTEREST IN ME, AND I TOOK IT TOO FAR, AND EVEN THEN I COULDN'T MATCH HER STUPID EXPECTATIONS.  
ARADIA: it probably was not the best match in retrospect  
ARADIA: you both tend to drown out all other sound when you get talkingAND no one else can even think  
ARADIA: you were really looking in the wrong place for that  
KARKAT: APPARENTLY, I MEAN, IT COULD HAVE WORKED IF SHE WASN'T SO GODDAMN IMMATURE.  
ARADIA: she has her positive and negative aspects and i cant really say anything better or worse about it considering i got caught up in the same cycle of revenge as she did with vriska  
KARKAT: AT LEAST YOU DROPPED IT WHEN IT WAS EVEN, AND SO DID SHE.  
ARADIA: so then why have you been unable to talk to kanaya? you two have always been pretty apt to speaking with each other  
KARKAT: BECAUSE SHE'S BUSY WITH ROSE AND I DON'T WANT TO INTRUDE ON THAT, IT'S NOT LIKE SHE IGNORES ME, SHE JUST GETS CAUGHT UP SOMETIMES.  
ARADIA: ...  
ARADIA: i missed you, karkat.  
KARKAT: ....  
KARKAT: I..  
KARKAT: I MISSED YOU TOO, ARADIA.  
KARKAT: I JUST DON'T KNOW, EVERYONE NEEDS SOMEONE ELSE AND AS MUCH AS I CARE ABOUT KANAYA, I KNOW SHE CARES ABOUT ROSE TOO AND I CAN'T JUST HOG HER, LIKE KEEP HER TO MYSELF I'M  
KARKAT: REALLY CONFUSED ON WHAT TO DO.  
ARADIA: im not exactly sure either but i know kanaya cares about you and would be distressed if she knew how lonely you seem to be right now  
ARADIA: even she cant always see when something is wrong all the time so dont be too disapointed in her over it  
KARKAT: I'LL TALK TO HER ABOUT IT SOON, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO FORCE HER AWAY, SHE NEEDS TO BE WITH WHO SHE WANTS TO BE WHEN SHE CAN, SHE'S STILL HERE, BUT  
KARKAT: I GUESS NOT AS MUCH AS I WANT.  
KARKAT: IT JUST SOUNDS REALLY WHINEY AND SELFISH.  
ARADIA: not really karkat we all went through a lot and need someone to work it out with that and i know you care about her and want her to be a big part of your life  
ARADIA: we dont really know how long our lives will even last and you just want to spend it with those you love its not really the same when youre dead

He puts more pressure on your body, leaning on you as much as you on him.

KARKAT: WHO DO YOU WANT TO SPEND YOUR TIME WITH?  
ARADIA: sollux  
ARADIA: hes my moirail  
ARADIA: but most of our other friends too  
ARADIA: some more than others  
KARKAT: MAKES SENSE TO ME.  
ARADIA: does it now?

You shiver, paradox space is cold. He notices.

KARKAT: WHAT'S WRONG?  
ARADIA: cold  
KARKAT: HEH, I'M USED TO IT, I THINK.  
KARKAT: MAYBE I'M JUST WARM?  
ARADIA: you are a little bit. its helping.  
KARKAT: HM, ANY BETTER WAYS TO GET WARMER?? WE COULD GO INSIDE.  
ARADIA: as long as we could avoid others for right now  
KARKAT: THEY'RE ASLEEP, DON'T WORRY.  
ARADIA: alright then

You stand and give him a hug. He hugged back, unrestrained and warm. You stand there like that for probably longer than you should have. He took your hand and lead you down into the cavernous building and down the stairs. You stumble.

CG: HEH, HAVE YOU BEEN FLOATING A LOT. YOU LOOK A LITTLE WEIRD ON YOUR FEET.  
ARADIA: i guess i have been hehe but really i havent walked much since i died the first time  
KARKAT: WANT TO SIT DOWN ON THE STAIRS FOR A BIT THEN, AT LEAST IT'S WARMER IN HERE.  
ARADIA: sure

You sit on the stair bellow him sideways and looking up. You notice how tense and tired he looked.

ARADIA: are you alright?  
KARKAT: TRYING TO BE. I MEAN, YOU'RE HERE. THAT HELPS A LOT. YOU?

You sit there silently playing with the hem of your ghi, head bowed.

ARADIA: im okay

You didn't notice he had changed position until his hand was tilting up your face to look at him in the eye.

ARADIA: ...!  
KARKAT: NO YOU'RE NOT. WHAT IS IT.  
ARADIA: i  
KARKAT: WHAT?

Your lips connected with his and you weren't sure who even initiated the kiss. All you knew is it was happening and it felt right. Just like leaning against him, and hugging him. It felt like you had been doing it all your life and at the same time like you had never experienced it before.

======>

Your name is Aradia Megido and you're very much in love with your matesprit Karkat Vantas. And it's funny to think but you always have been.


End file.
